How "The Walking Dead" Can Give You Better Insight Into Your Security Strategy

If the characters on The Walking Dead have taught us anything about security it’s this:

You need to make preparations to prevent an attack

You need the dexterity to plan on the go

You need to plan for what’s next

All too often in the data security world, companies aren’t looking at the whole picture on what could happen in the event of an attack. While it’s unlikely that you’ll walk into an abandoned data center overrun by walkers, the possibility of a major security breach hitting the business is very real in this day and age.

Relying on firewalls or security solutions that focus only on attack prevention is not enough to keep up with the evolution of the hacker economy. Security is an executive boardroom discussion that must be expanded beyond point-in-time security to a continuous model.

Just look at what happened to Alexandria during the last season of The Walking Dead. Outside threats still managed to break down the reinforced steel wall allowing walkers to infiltrate the community.

The changing business model sets the foundation for Cisco’s attack continuum. This threat-centric approach prompts security professionals to think about security before, during and after an attack. Your customers might be enjoying some of the best converged solutions on the market but how are you helping them secure their investment?

How can your customers prepare for an attack if they don’t have a comprehensive view of what’s going on in the network? Your customers need to understand what their security environment looks like in preparation for an attack. What kind of counter measures and evasion techniques will the cyber attacker need to deploy? Network visibility is a key factor in pulling together the necessary policies and controls to defend it. You should provide your customers with a POV Network Assessment to help them understand their vulnerabilities.

During an Attack

Security breaches happen. The way security professionals respond to a threat during the attack can either amplify or lessen the damage. Your customers need security that will allow them to continuously monitor the network to detect and block malware. Make sure you give your customers the advanced tools they need to stop hackers and exploits as they occur.

After an Attack

There is no silver breach when it comes to network security. Breaches occur on a regular basis. Retrospective security will give your customers the ability to retrace the events leading up to a breach. If your infrastructure can continuously gather and analyze data to create security intelligence, your security teams can identify indicators of compromise. This will allow your customers to prevent similar breaches from occurring again.

Your customers are buying security from somewhere. Don’t let your competitors introduce other security solutions into your data center accounts. Cisco was rated as the best security company at the 2016 SC Awards.

If you want to learn more about the new Cisco Security model to help your customers craft an advanced security strategy, join us next month for #CiscoSecurityWeek. The lunch and learn style seminar will give you a deep dive and the opportunity to see a live demo of the Cisco security portfolio. Click here to find a roadshow near you!